Past, Present and Future

The Day After The Wreck

I remember waking up with an awful headache. "Where am I?" 

"Paul? Are you okay?" asks a quiet voice. "Where are we?"

"You're both in the hospital." replied a deep voice, who I recognize as Gene's. Opening my eyes, I wince from the pain in my head. He looks blurry and out of focus.

I slowly remember the events that put me here. "Gene, I'm well enough to be on my own. You can head home. I'll pay you back for the repairs. Sorry."

"Are you sure?" 

Finally convincing Gene to go home, I look over to the next bed. My poor road manager is wearing a huge bandage on his head and his arm is in a cast. He looks worse than I do. Somehow I manage to sit up and pull myself to the edge of the bed. My ankle is in an elastic bandage and my wrist is splinted. 

It takes awhile to stand up and hobble over to the other bed where I smooth back my crush's hair and gently kiss him on the cheek. "Hey, get some rest. You're in worse shape than I am."

Later that day I'm released from the hospital but I'm only gone long enough to go home and shower and change. After making myself look presentable, I head back to the hospital to stay with T. I do stop by the apartment to pick him up clean clothes and his shaving bag. 

When I get back to the hospital, he's crying from the pain of his broken arm. "Hey, hey, I'm here! It's okay now!" 

Going in, I take him in my arms and comfort him.